[FoRK] Blitzkrieg in India

spam-a-vote strategy.
gg
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POLITICKER STORY OF THE WEEK
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WORLD'S LARGEST E-CAMPAIGN IGNITES IN WORLD'S LARGEST DEMOCRACY
This week, India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
announced the launch of an unprecedented e-campaign. The BJP will rely on
its proven organizing skills to embark on an e-campaign blitzkrieg to seek
voters through telephones, television, radio and the Internet.
The party's general secretary Pramod Mahajan fittingly revealed the
announcement with a savvy power-point presentation on Wednesday. The day
also marked the start of a drive to send out a one-minute phone message by
BJP Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to mobile phones, along with
millions of 'Vote4BJP' text messages and e-mails.
The BJP will send messages to almost 20 million e-mail addresses, nearly
every e-mail address in the country, and also plans to call an equal amount
of mobile and land telephones.
The election is expected to take place in April or May instead of the
traditional October date. Prime Minister Vajpayee called for an early
election in a bid to capitalize on an economic boom, disarray among
opposition groups and prospects of peace with Pakistan.
BJP website: http://www.bjp.org/
BJP To Take Tech Leap In Election Campaign
http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Polls2004&slug=BJP+goes+h
igh-tech+ahead+of+the+elections&id=13921&callid=0&category=National
BJP Plans Phone, TV, Internet Blitzkrieg
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/520390.cms
You've Got Mail From Indian PM
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13413598
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POLITICKER HEADLINES
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NATIONAL NEWS
-- Defiant Nader Declares He'll Run
-- In Politics, The Web Is A Parallel World With Its Own Rules
-- Stalled Dean Campaign Still Active Online
-- You've Got Mail, But Not Answers
E-GOVERNMENT NEWS
-- Cyber-Security Coordination Lacking, Senators Contend
-- GSA's Sindelar Takes On Familiar Role For OMB, E-gov
-- OPM Leads Feds In E-Payments
-- UK E-Government Cash Bonanza
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
-- British Party Spills Policy Plans In E-Mail Gaffe
-- Conservative Iranians Muzzle The Internet During Elections
-- Ireland Mulls E-voting For European Elections
-- Online South African Groups Slam 'Retrograde' Internet Bill
-- Taiwan Targets Online Election Gamblers
-- Tunisia Pledges Openness For Second WSIS
HOTSITE: http://www.constitutionparty.com/
CONSTITUTION PARTY
This week's HotSite has made good upgrades in good timing for the 2004 US
elections. Read on below for the full story.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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INTERNET EVOLUTION HAS YET TO TAKE PLACE
"Until the Internet is used effectively both by campaigns in the recruitment
and mobilization stages of a campaign and by voters in the final weeks
before they make their decisions, we will not know what the full power of
the Internet in election politics is."
* Wrote Dr. David Anderson, Executive Director of Youth04 (www.youth04.com).
http://www.gazette.net/200409/weekend/issues_ideas/204444-1.html
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STAT OF THE WEEK
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ONE MILLION E-VOTING MACHINES FOR INDIA
Over one million electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in India's
upcoming election. India has an electorate of more than 668 million,
covering 543 parliamentary constituencies.
More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3493474.stm
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NATIONAL NEWS
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DEFIANT NADER DECLARES HE'LL RUN
(Chicago Tribune) Ralph Nader, who turns 70 this week, said he intends to
begin campaigning immediately and hopes to raise money through the Internet
and fundraising dinners.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0402230193feb23,1,5595555.story
?coll=chi-news-hed
IN POLITICS, THE WEB IS A PARALLEL WORLD WITH ITS OWN RULES
(New York Times) The Web has evolved as a relatively permissive environment.
A negative advertisement that might rub viewers the wrong way in their
living rooms is apparently less likely to do so when they are at their
computers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/22/weekinreview/22rute.html
STALLED DEAN CAMPAIGN STILL ACTIVE ONLINE
(PC World) The famous anguished howl that marked the beginning of the end of
Howard Dean's pursuit of the presidency in 2004 may have reverberated loudly
in television's echo chamber, but on meetup.com, the Web site that helped to
build him into the Democratic Party's first real frontrunner, he's still in
the lead.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115006,00.asp
YOU'VE GOT MAIL, BUT NOT ANSWERS
(Dallas Morning News) If you e-mail a presidential campaign, don't expect an
answer - just more questions. The candidates' Web sites encourage voters to
point, click and contact the campaigns. But voters with questions about
where candidates stand on the issues are more likely to receive
solicitations than information.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/022104dn
polemail.16cc8.html
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E-GOVERNMENT NEWS
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CYBER-SECURITY COORDINATION LACKING, SENATORS CONTEND
(Washingtonpost.com) Two senior U.S. senators yesterday sharply questioned
the federal government's strategy for defending critical corporate and
government computer systems from attacks by terrorists and hackers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3314-2004Feb24.html?referrer=
email
GSA'S SINDELAR TAKES ON FAMILIAR ROLE FOR OMB, E-GOV
(Government Computer News) The Office of Management and Budget is getting
serious about its line of business consolidation initiatives-called by some
the next wave of e-government projects.
http://gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/25083-1.html
OPM LEADS FEDS IN E-PAYMENTS
(Federal Computer Week) The Office of Personnel Management sent a larger
percentage of its vendor payments without using cash or checks than any
other federal agency in December.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0223/web-epay-02-25-04.asp
UK E-GOVERNMENT CASH BONANZA
(Vnunet.com) A #220m cash injection into the public sector to help local
authorities meet e-government targets is set to filter down to the channel,
but many resellers will miss out if they are not already geared up for
public sector work.
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1152947
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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BRITISH PARTY SPILLS POLICY PLANS IN E-MAIL GAFFE
(Reuters) Britain's Liberal Democrat party accidentally e-mailed its draft
election plans to Welsh members of the ruling Labor Party Tuesday,
unwittingly unveiling what would normally be a closely guarded secret.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=443628
8&src=eDialog/GetContentsion=news
IRELAND MULLS E-VOTING FOR EUROPEAN ELECTIONS
(EUobserver) Ireland is considering introducing e-voting for the European
elections in June - which could lead to more people voting.
http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?aid=14599
CONSERVATIVE IRANIANS MUZZLE THE INTERNET DURING ELECTIONS
(Reporters Without Borders) Iranian authorities have followed official
harassment of pro-reformist newspapers with an attack against online news
publications, said Reporters Without Borders, which protested at the latest
development.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=9373
ONLINE SOUTH AFRICAN GROUPS SLAM 'RETROGRADE' INTERNET BILL
(Sunday Times) Sixteen top Internet online publishers and information
services have come out strongly in opposition to the government's
Convergence Bill, warning that some may be forced to move their businesses
outside of South Africa.
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2004/02/22/business/technology/tech03.asp
TAIWAN TARGETS ONLINE ELECTION GAMBLERS
(Washington Times) Police in Taiwan have begun cracking down on online
gambling Web sites taking bets on the outcome of next month's elections, the
Taipei Times said Thursday.
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040226-124226-8550r.htm
TUNISIA PLEDGES OPENNESS FOR SECOND WSIS
(Inter Press Service News Agency) The government of Tunisia has assured that
all civil society organisations will be allowed to participate in the second
phase of the World Summit on the Information Society.
http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=22326
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HOTSITE OF THE WEEK
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Constitution Party
Site URL: http://www.constitutionparty.com/
By: David Abel
This week's HotSite has made good upgrades in good timing for the 2004 US
elections, as Constitution Party Chairman James N. Clymer recently announced
the launch of a new, upgraded website. There are a lot of "third party"
websites in the US but this one is important because it is actually the site
of the 3rd largest party in the United States in terms of voter
registration. It achieved ballot access for its presidential candidate in 21
states in 1992, 39 states in 1996, and 41 states in 2000.
The Constitution party has all the features you would expect to find from a
"wired" party, online donation processing, campaign e-newsletter, and
downloadable literature to name a few. The site also has an interesting
"issues and history quiz" visitors can take to test his or her political
knowledge.
We liked the site because it doesn't waste any time pandering to a wide
range of individuals, or hide its party's goals. Their beliefs and mission
are boldly displayed in the middle of the main page. The website creators
are proud of its content and have streamlined the site to make getting that
information more user friendly.
Political spin:
Michael Peroutka is the Constitution Party's candidate for the Presidential
race. His website (http://www.peroutka2004.com/index.html) will be one to
watch after his formal nomination at the Party's June Convention.
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David Abel compiled this Weekly PoliTicker.
Please send comments to david at politicsonline.comhttp://www.PoliticsOnline.com
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